Thursday, February 25, 2010

Friday, February 19, 2010

Essential Questions 6.1

1. What is structural engineering?

Is a field of engineering dealing with the analysis and design of structures that support or resist loads.

2. How does the design of a structure impact how loads are dispersed?

The design impacts all of the weight and dimensions of the loads

3. In what ways are wind, snow, and dead and live loads similar or different?

They are all loads that have certain breaking points and they all have different breaking points.

4. How does the use of mathematics help in understanding about the forces and loads on a structure?

Mathematics allow you to plug in equations to better understand and experiment with loads.


5. How do you determine what loads are applied to a structure?

By using the load equation of the structure.

6. Where would you locate a load table to assist your design process?

By using the load equation which would help find the load of the structure in your design process.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Essential Questions 5.2-5.3

1.How are the interior and exterior traffic flow patterns related? As a designer, why should you consider them when preparing a floor plan?

They are both patterns of the floorplan and as a designer you need to make them according to the environment surrounding the structure.

2. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1997 provided clear guidelines for universal accessibility. What accessibility issues are important with a project?

Room sizes and wall measurements are big because you need to be able to add items in the rooms.

3.What factors determine the functionality of a room and its size, shape, and location?

The surrounding places by the structure which gives you the restrictions of the measurements.

4.In preparing a floor plan, what is the purpose and value of floor plan symbols?

To help you see the proportions of rooms and items so it makes it easy for you to put things in place.

5.What is R-value and how is it determined?

The relative temperature from the outside to inside and it is determined by resistance.

6. Where would you find air leakage, and how could it be prevented?

Possibly through windows and you could add more insulation or add more thickness to the windows.

7. What is a vapor retarder? How is it used?

A layer of material or a laminate used to appreciably reduce the flow of water vapor into a roof assembly.

8. What is a BTU and how would you calculate the BTUs needed for your building?

It is British thermo units per hour, and you would use the BTU equation to calculate for your building.